Flash flooding hits UK and Ireland

A band of torrential rain moving eastwards across the UK has flooded parts of Northern Ireland, south-west England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.

Last night 80 local people formed a search party for a missing 13-year-old girl in St Agnes, Cornwall, eventually finding her alive but injured after a frantic seven-hour hunt, according to a report by the BBC.

In Northern Ireland, 18 people were rescued by boat in County Tyrone and residents were trapped in their homes in some of the worst hit areas including north and west Belfast, Ballyclare and Cushendall.

Meanwhile Dublin City Council has activated its major emergency plan after main roads and shopping centres became waterlogged during the downpours. Two people, including on Irish police officer, have been killed in the flooding.

The Environment Agency claims that whilst the worst may be over for the south-west, rivers and coastal areas in Scotland, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, and Bridlington, East Yorkshire may still be affected.

Flood alerts have also been issued in Cornwall and Devon, as well as parts of Wales.

BBC weather forecaster Chris Fawkes said: “It’s certainly going to become much drier Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Wales and south-west England, but the front is going to become slow-moving across north-east England and eastern Scotland now.

“Across eastern Scotland the Met Office have warnings of between 30mm (1.2in) and 50mm (2in) of rain to fallover the coast and hills, and that could still cause some problems there.”